Madmoments: or First Verseattempts By a Bornnatural. Addressed to the Lightheaded of Society at Large, by Henry Ellison |
 | I. |
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TO DANTE. |
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| II. |
 | Madmoments: or First Verseattempts |  |
TO DANTE.
Dante! methinks on thy so thoughtworn face,Thy haggard eye, and wrinklefurrowed Brow,
The Shadow of the Past, an inward woe,
Tho' held aloof by pride, in each worn trace
Still lingers: 'tis in vain we would efface
From the frail flesh the spirit's burning glow
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The Soul's deep workings — tho' the thankless Race,
That cast thee forth from out its serpentbreast,
Could not degrade; yet still, the vilest thing
At times can sting the noblest, and the test
To which thy fate subjected thee, could wring
E'en from thy lips the bitter thoughts that wrest
The spirit from its pride, and bow to Earth its wing!
| Madmoments: or First Verseattempts | |